Herman Melville’s short story, Bartleby the Scrivener discusses the relationship between the workplace and society and how this particular relationship affects Bartleby. Bartleby is the hero of Melville’s story in his refusal to participate in a workplace that represents the sad, dreary atmosphere of a bureaucratic, industrialized society. He is the only one standing up to a society that is increasingly oppressive to workers. There are many examples of Bartleby behaving in a nonconforming manner throughout the piece, such as his constant use of the phrase, “I would prefer not to”, as well as his complete and total isolation from everyone around him that eventually leads to his death.
The office where Bartleby works is described as being bleak, sterile and cheerless. Bartleby’s window faces a wall, and even if it did not, Wall Street is also described as being in a sad and depressive state. Melville wrote, “Of a Sunday Wall Street is deserted as Petra; and every night of every day it is an emptiness.” The description of the environment where Bartleby works is extremely oppressive and stifling. Bartleby himself is affected by this environment as he is described as being pale, cadaverous, ghost like, and passionless. At one point, a green screen is erected to further separate Bartleby from his coworkers after they begin to complain about him to the Lawyer. He is literally blocked out from his fellow office mates for being different from them and not conforming in the way that they do. This makes everyone around him uncomfortable, but Bartleby does not seem to care; in fact he seems indifferent about everything.
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